Bement Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The nearest town is Sutton, about 7.8 km (4.8 mi) away (Bement Covered Bridge lies S of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bement Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge on Center Road over the Warner River in Bradford, New Hampshire. A Long-truss bridge, it was built in 1854, and is one of New Hampshire's small number of surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.From the Wikipedia article “Bement Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bement Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 56° NE | 8:32 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 122° ESE | 4:16 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Covered bridges look their best with soft side-light and a backdrop of fall color, snow or fresh spring green.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Bement Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 2:40 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:22 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.09 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 59 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 94 | 93 | 79 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -23 | -23 | -19 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 44 | 35 | 20 | -3 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this covered bridge
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Peak fall color is the classic season; winter snow and spring blossoms are less crowded alternatives.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Polarizer for foliage. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bement Covered Bridge, closest first.
Lake
Covered Bridge
Lake
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bement Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Bement Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bement Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bement Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bement Covered Bridge?
How far is Bement Covered Bridge from Sutton?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.